A Calcutta High Court judge on Tuesday issued separate orders, asking police authorities of East Midnapore, Murshidabad and South 24-Parganas districts to give protection to victorious candidates of various Opposition parties while they take part in the panchayat board formation process.

Justice Jay Sengupta issued the orders on pleas from the Opposition winners in the Nandigram block of East Midnapore, the Hetampur and the Tenkoraipur Balumati blocks in Murshidabad and the Mathurapur block in South 24-Parganas.

The court also restrained the police from taking coercive measures against the winners in the pending criminal cases.

The victorious BJP candidates had moved the high court alleging that Trinamul Congress supporters had been threatening them and preventing them from going to panchayat offices for the formation of boards.

Similar petitions were moved by 15 CPM candidates of Tenkoraipur Balumati gram panchayat and 12 CPM winners of Hetampur gram panchayat.

Govt apology

The state government on Tuesday tendered an apology before Justice Amrita Sinha of the high court for asking a defeated Trinamul Congress candidate to form the board in Bhogali 2 gram panchayat in Bhangar.